Rocket Lab’s Adjusted Loss Reaches $0.12 per Share as Revenue Hits Record
Key Facts
Rocket Lab reported third-quarter results on November 9, 2026, posting record revenue of $268 million but also an adjusted loss of $0.12 per share, according to an Investing.com report citing Reuters. The per-share loss was wider than analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.07, while revenue exceeded their estimate of $257.17 million. Under GAAP, the company reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $79.677 million, compared with $18.257 million in the third quarter of 2025. GAAP loss per share was $0.12, compared with $0.03 in the year-earlier period. The figures reflected expanding activity alongside a wider quarterly loss than a year earlier.
The company’s shares fell 3.8% in after-hours trading on Monday, according to Investing.com, which attributed the move to the adjusted per-share loss exceeding expectations despite revenue topping estimates. The decline was in trading after the results were announced; the stock had closed at $53.07 on November 6, ahead of the announcement scheduled for November 9, according to EL7 data. The backlog offers another view of the company’s expanding business: it stood at $3.573 billion on September 30, 2026, up from $1.8473 billion on December 31, 2025. Total backlog comprised $1.7247 billion for space systems and $1.8483 billion for launch services. The growing contract backlog points to expanding commercial activity alongside higher quarterly losses, while the stock’s immediate response was tied to the results report and analysts’ estimates.
In launch economics, revenue per launch was $7.8 million in the third quarter of 2026, compared with $10.1 million a year earlier, according to the company’s report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. At the same time, cost per launch fell to $5.0 million from $5.9 million in the third quarter of 2025. The comparison shows year-over-year declines in both revenue and cost per launch, alongside the larger net loss reported in the quarterly statements. Backlog growth does not change the fact that the adjusted per-share loss exceeded analysts’ consensus for the reported quarter. Revenue, meanwhile, reached a record and surpassed the estimate published before the announcement.